Back to the Beginning

by Christina Gist

  Back to the Beginning

  Book 1 of the Mer Harbor Series

  Christina Ann Gist

  Copyright © 2020 Christina Ann Gist

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN-13: 9798643401100

  Cover design by: Katrina Gillian Gillian's Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By Its Cover"

  Dedicated to Emilee, Rachel and Allison. This story exists because of you.

  And a special thank you to Ms. Lambert, who always encouraged my imagination to run wild.

  Chapter 1

  Life was a disaster. And not one of those beautiful disasters women were so fond of in those cheesy, made-for-tv movies. No, Everley Romero’s life was falling apart in the worst, and ugliest way possible.

  How had things gone so very wrong in so little time?

  She wanted to blame Benny, her soon-to-be ex-husband. The ink had hardly dried on their marriage certificate when she filed for divorce. She wished it was the only time she’d wasted in her life. As she fiddled with the phone, still debating making the phone call, she allowed her mind to drift over the almost ten years she and Benny had spent together.

  Getting married had been a terrible idea.

  Choosing Benjamin Masters as a husband was an even worse one as she was now finding out.

  Everley wasn’t fond of whispers, and when word got out that her husband had cheated on her, the news ran rampant. It was the sort of thing you’d expect in a small town like Mer Harbor, but they lived in Manhattan. The fact that anyone outside of her closest colleagues kept tabs on her life was a shock she hadn’t prepared for.

  In reality, she knew long before the rumors started. She’d even tried to fix things at one point, but it was no use. Now, the sympathetic looks she got every time she showed up at work made her want to hide under her desk. Gossip always disgusted her, and when she was the subject, it made her stomach turn.

  Eventually, Benny didn’t even try to hide it. Why bother when she and half of New York knew?

  The worst part was, the friends she thought she had all but abandoned her. Because they were never really mine to begin with, she reminded herself. They only associated with her because she was with him.

  Now, the divorce was almost final, and she was alone. For the past few months, she had been waiting for the lease on their former apartment to be up, and now that it was almost time, she knew she could no longer stay in Manhattan. Her job paid more than enough for her to get by on her own, but the city wasn’t so forgiving. It was where she’d run to escape, and now, it was a prison of faded memories and devastating loss.

  She didn’t want to go back to Mer Harbor either, but what else could she do? With a sigh, she finally scrolled through her contacts and made the call.

  “Ryan?” she asked when he answered the phone. Her lip trembled, and she knew that even though he couldn’t see her, he could tell she was on the verge of tears.

  “Come home, Everley,” he said, “please?”

  It never ceased to amaze her how her cousin could practically read her mind. Their bond growing up had been a close one, and even though she hadn’t been home in almost a decade, the connection still seemed to be there.

  “We have space for you,” Ryan continued, trying to convince her.

  And maybe that was what she needed. To go back to the beginning and start over.

  Still…

  “The last thing you need is for me to move back in with you.” He was her cousin, but he didn’t have to be her savior.

  “I miss you,” Ryan said, “Harper too. It’ll be like old times.”

  Like old times, except her cousin and best friend had gotten married since she’d been away. Talk about being a third wheel. God… she hadn’t even gone to the wedding. How could they possibly be so forgiving?

  Then there was the small detail that Benny’s father was pretty well known and respected in town. Even though Benny and his father had a fallout long ago, Benjamin Sr. would surely blame Everley for the divorce, and maybe he was right. However, she had nowhere else to go at the moment, and Mer Harbor was her best option. She could deal with the potential blacklisting at the hands of her ex-father-in-law if it came to that. It seemed almost easier than dealing with the heartache she felt now.

  “Okay...” she said, not fully convinced. There was still one more problem with returning home. A heartache much worse than what she was dealing with now. Still… “How much has the place changed?”

  “He’s still here...” Ryan said, knowing what she was asking, and that it was the very answer she didn’t want to hear.

  “I’m sure he’ll have some choice words for me,” she sighed, “but I guess it’s better than being here...”

  Mer Harbor was small, but people were still avoidable, and she had friends who wanted to support her. It was much more than she had where she was right now. Heartache or not, at least she wouldn’t be alone.

  “It was a long time ago,” Ryan reminded her. “You were both young-”

  “Okay.” She didn’t want to discuss it any more. “I said okay already. I’m coming back. I don’t have a lot, so I won’t take up much space.”

  One week later, Everley was back in California. Mer Harbor hadn’t changed all that much. The sandwich shop on the corner of Main Street had a fresh coat of paint, but it was still the same old building she’d always known. The smell of the sea still permeated everything. Even the people looked to be the same as they had been almost a decade before.

  She felt as though she might suffocate.

  Ryan didn’t waste time showing her around, and for that she was grateful. The last thing she wanted was to be bombarded by questions from curious old friends and acquaintances. There wasn’t even attempt to stop by the sandwich shop that had been their favorite hangout as kids. He took her straight home to the small apartment he and Harper shared.

  “There will be time to get reacquainted with everyone later,” he assured her. “But I have a feeling that you might want to hide out until you get settled?”

  “You know me too well,” she laughed.

  Harper was quick to greet Everley. It was clear the tiny brunette still saw Everley as her best friend in the entire world. As if they hadn’t been apart for almost ten years.

  Some best friend I’ve been, Everley thought, silently reminding herself of all the times she should have called, but didn’t. Of all the things she missed, the things she should have been confiding with Harper in. But she’d been content to pretend like her entire life in Mer Harbor had never happened.

  “We’re so glad you’re back,” Harper said excitedly, unaware of Everley’s self-loathing. “I know you need time, but everyone is so excited to see you. Brandi said when you’re ready, we should go out. There’s a new bar that opened up near the sandwich shop. Everyone seems to love it. I’m sure it’s nothing like the New York nightlife, but they have good drinks. Sometimes, they even have a live band!”

  “Sounds great,” she said, forcing a smile. She didn’t have the heart to tell her friend that her rambling alone was overwhelming. They meant well, and for the time being, this was home. She was thankful that neither of them mentioned Heath, though she wasn’t entirely sure that he wasn’t still a part of their group. On the rare occasion that Everley had called Ryan, she’d almost sensed that that friendship hadn’t died.

  Not that
she blamed either of them. They’d been friends for a long time, and it wasn’t Heath’s fault that everything went to hell.

  But she didn’t want to hear about it.

  “As much as I appreciate the place to crash and impending celebration, there’s still the matter of finding a job.” She needed to steer the conversation away from anything that might find her dwelling too much on the past. “I’m guessing there’s not a lot of work out here for a P.I., unless Brandi’s grandma has some major scandal going on that I’m not aware of?”

  Ryan laughed and shook his head. “Seeing as she’s the one who was great at keeping tabs on Brandi, I doubt you’d be able to outwit her. But you’re right about the job thing.”

  She could tell by the look on his face that he had done something. “Tell me you didn’t.”

  “I talked to Eli-”

  Everley groaned. “Really? It’s bad enough the entire town knows my business, but you had to drag Sheriff Carmichael into it?”

  Elijah Carmichael had been Sheriff since Ryan started high school. He was a good guy, and the town loved him enough to re-elect him every year. It was bad enough that he knew why she’d left town. Now he’d know why she was coming back.

  “Come on, Eve,” Ryan argued. “I didn’t get into details. I just said you were coming home and I might have hinted that we were down a dispatcher. It’s not the most glamorous job, but with your background in investigations, I’m sure you’ll be getting a badge in no time. Just like you always wanted.”

  Well… not exactly. She didn’t want to be a small town cop, but it was better than nothing.

  “Okay,” she said, resigned to her fate. “I’ll come by tomorrow for an application.”

  “No need,” Ryan said. “He said the job is yours if you want it. Just swing by and we can get you all set up. Sometimes, there are benefits to living in a place like this.”

  It was easier to agree with him, rather than remind him of all the reasons why it wasn’t always beneficial for everyone in town to know all your business. Right now though, she had a roof over her head and a job. She could worry about everything else when she was back on her feet.

  ***

  Heath Mitchell was relieved when his girlfriend finally showed up to practice. She never missed it, and it was odd for her to be so late. Seeing her there now though, his worry subsided and he looked forward to taking her to the sandwich shop, where they could get a snack and pretend to work on their homework together.

  He watched her from the outfield, earning him a reprimand from the coach. Something was wrong though, and he found it hard to divert his attention. She wasn’t cheering him on or chatting with the other spectators. Instead of enjoying herself as usual, she stood behind everyone else. Her long, brown hair was tied back, and a hat covered her head. She stared at the ground; the hat providing extra cover. He couldn’t see her face, but if he was a betting man, he’d bet she’d been crying.

  When practice ended, Heath went right to Everley. Just as he’d suspected, she’d been crying. “Evie?” he asked.

  Her eyes darted around nervously, and she shook her head. “Not… not here. Not now.”

  “All right,” he agreed as he slipped an arm around her waist. He led her back onto the diamond and waited until the field cleared. Even after the goodbyes had been said and the last person was halfway to the parking lot, she remained silent.

  “Evie?” he asked again, hoping it would encourage her to tell him what was on her mind.

  “I’m pregnant,” she whispered so softly he almost didn’t hear it.

  “Are you certain?” he asked.

  He knew immediately it was the wrong thing to say, and he wished he could take the words back. She would have collapsed if he hadn’t caught her. Her hat fell off and tumbled into the dirt as he held her as close as he could. “Hey,” he soothed. “It’s all right. We’ll be all right.”

  She sobbed heavily into his chest as he held her. “My mother will kill me,” she mumbled, “and my father will kill you.”

  While he could understand her fears, he couldn’t see her parents actually killing anyone. Especially not their daughter. Him maybe, but never Everley. “I think you’re being a tad bit dramatic,” he whispered. “It’s a baby. They’ll be angry, but it’ll pass.” They’d have to tell their parents. Where her parents hated him, his parents adored her. He figured that might be an easier battle, but an uphill one all the same.

  “It’ll be the same with my parents,” he tried, hoping it would calm her. “I’m right here, Evie. No matter what happens, we’ll do this together.”

  “We’re kids!” She pushed away from him. “How in the hell are we supposed to do anything? We’re stupid enough to screw up safe sex, how the hell can anyone expect us to do anything else right?”

  She was screaming, and Heath was thankful that the diamond was empty. He tried to keep his voice calm, although he was just as frightened as she was. “I don’t care what anyone else expects. We’ll do what’s right for us and to hell with what everyone else thinks.”

  “I’m sorry,” she burst into tears again. “It’s just... all we’ve talked about since we were kids was getting out of this place, and now, I can’t do that.”

  “Wait.” Heath frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?” Their dream had always been to leave Mer Harbor and go places. Him with baseball, her with law enforcement. And they always dreamed of doing all that together. All that wasn’t going to change because of a baby. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

  “Heath, schools are fighting over you. I can’t let you pass up your future for me. You’ve got so much going for you. What about the Majors? You’ve been dreaming of that since you were a kid.”

  “I’ve also been in love with you since I was a kid,” he reminded her. She laughed through her tears and he pulled her back into his arms.

  It was the truth. Ever since his family had moved to Mer Harbor, his life had revolved around Everley. First, he’d met her cousin, Ryan. They were in the same class, and she was a year behind them in school. He smiled fondly at the memory of curly, brown pigtails, missing teeth and big hazel eyes following them around the playground almost every afternoon. Even at an age where girls were supposed to have cooties, he was smitten.

  “I don’t give a damn about the Majors. The college here is just fine. When I said we’ll get through this together, I meant it. No matter what.” Whatever she chose, he would stand by her.

  “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “I can’t... I mean... I don’t think I could...” The words seemed lost, almost as if she were choking on them. “I thought about it last night, but I couldn’t do that. It’s just a baby... ”

  “Hey,” he squeezed her tighter, “if the thought bothers you that much, don’t even entertain the notion.”

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “It's a baby,” he said, “that’s what I think. I’m glad you told me, instead of doing something out of fear that you might regret later.

  “Really?” she asked. “Because, as terrified as I am... I want to keep it.” She pulled back slightly and looked up at him, searching for something. Doubt, perhaps? Anger? Refusal? He supposed it was only natural she worry about things like that.

  “Then that’s what we’ll do,” he decided with a nod. “Like I said, I’m here. We’ve got to tell our parents, so let’s get started on that, shall we?”

  Chapter 2

  Heath Mitchell frowned as the bartender added another drink to his tab. The word around town was Everley had just moved back a couple days ago. He wasn't sure he was ready to see her again; unfortunately, Mer Harbor was a small town, and he knew they’d cross paths eventually.

  “What’s going on?” Owen Greenwood pulled up a seat at the bar. He and Heath had been friends since high school, but that didn’t mean his presence was welcome at the moment. “Drowning your troubles in Whiskey? That’s not like you at all.”

  It was at one point, Heath thou
ght. But he’s right. It’s not me anymore.

  “You know me too well,” Heath sighed. “And I’m guessing you’re here because you heard the news?”

  “That Everley is back in town?” Owen asked. He nodded, not needing confirmation. “I saw her when I went in for my shift this afternoon. She’s going to be our new dispatcher.”

  “Wonderful.” If she stayed at the Sheriff’s department, and he stayed on the other side of town at the high school, then there’d be hardly any chance of them running into one another during the week. Weekends and evenings would be a different story. The town was notoriously small.

  “What happened?” Owen asked.

  It was a topic he’d never really attempted to touch before, and Heath appreciated that. But now, it seemed everyone he came into contact with was curious as to what exactly had happened. Everyone knew the rumors, but no one knew the full truth. That didn’t mean Heath wanted to fill him in on all the details though.

  “You know what happened,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “You were never quite clear on that,” Owen said. “I mean, I know about the baby, but... I never expected you two to part after that.”

  “Doesn't matter.” Heath downed his drink and gestured for another. It didn’t really. They’d lost everything, and after that, she’d decided she didn’t want him around. There wasn’t much story to tell, and he didn’t want to relive the pain any more than he already had.

  Owen didn’t comment. Instead, he gestured for his own drink and they sat in silence for a few moments.

  “She’d have been eight next month,” Heath commented.

  “Dammit,” Owen groaned. “You can't keep doing this to yourself.”

  “Don't do what? Mourn what I've lost?” Heath's voice rose, “She was so quick to push me away, to get rid of me. So she could move on and leave me to suffer on my own.” He wasn’t sure where it was all coming from, but he did know that he didn’t want sympathy. He was tired of the looks and whispers. They’d finally started to fade away. He’d finally started to move on.